
theworkoftheDymock,orGloucestershire,poetsbutthroughKeats
.BothOwenand
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Sassoonwereinfuriatedwithhowthewarwasbeingfought.Bothcouldn’tescapethementality
ofthepublicwhichsupportedthewar,awarwhichthehomefrontknewlittleabout.Yetdespite
WilfredOwen’sprotesting,muchlikeSassoonhehadbeenawardedtheMIlitaryCrossfor
actionsandvalor
andalthoughhewasnotknownaswellknownasSassoonduringthewar
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onlyfourofOwen’spoemswerepublishedduringhislifetime
Owen’sexperienceswould
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becomeanalmostuniversaldescriptionofthelifeandtroublesofthemodernsoldier.
WilfredOwenwasbornonMarch18th1893ontheEnglishWelshborder.Meaningthat
OwengrewupintheverysamelandscapethattheGloucesterpoetswouldlaterveneratedin
theirpoetry.WilfredOwendidnotcomefromawealthyfamilybutawellreadone,withWilfred’s
fatherconstantlyreadingeverythingfromthebibletothenewspaper.WilfredOwen’smother
wasalsoapparentlygiftedwiththeartisticflarebeingnotedagoodtechnicalpainter .Owens
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mother'sloveofartalmostcertainlytransportedintotheworkofherfavoriteson.Atraitwhich
couldexplainthebrushstrokedetailwithwhichOwendescribeshistimeinthetrenches.The
Owenswerereligious.ThereligiousaspectsofOwen’slifewouldcarrythroughouttohispoetry.
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“TheCollectedPoemsofWIlfredOwen,”EditedbyC.DayLewis.Onpage21thereisananecdotetosend
homethethoughtofOwendrawingonolderEnglishpoetstoachievehismodernstyle.“OnJune4t,1916,
[Owen]wascommissionedintheManchesterRegiment.HisearlytrainingtookplaceinLondon,wherehe
visitedthe“PoetryBookshop”HaroldMonrowas“verystruck,”bysomesonnetsofOwen’s,and“toldme
whatwasfreshandclever,andwhatwassecondhandandbanal;andwhatKeatsianandwhat‘modern.”
Alsoonpage15C.DayLewisexaminestheearlyworkofOwentoprovethatthepoethasbeenobsessed
withKeats.
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“2ndLt,WilfredEdwardSalterOwen,5thBn.Manch.R.,T.F.,attd.2ndBn.
ForconspicuousgallantryanddevotiontodutyintheattackontheFonsommeLineonOctober1st/2nd,
1918.Onthecompanycommanderbecomingacasualty,heassumedcommandandshowedfine
leadershipandresistedaheavycounterattack.Hepersonallymanipulatedacapturedenemymachinegun
fromanisolatedpositionandinflictedconsiderablelossesontheenemy.Throughouthebehavedmost
gallantly”
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TheCollectedPoemsofWIlfredOwen,”EditedbyC.DayLewis.OwendiesNovember4thin1918.
74
“TheCollectedPoemsofWIlfredOwen,”EditedbyC.DayLewis.
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